Come to a game, he says, and if you're not entertained, you'll get a full refund.

With the addition of freshman guard Shoni Schimmel to the Cardinals' roster this season, Walz shouldn't have to dig into his pocket anytime soon.

Schimmel, who grew up on the Umatilla Indian Reservation outside Pendleton, has put on a show since her first game at Louisville. She has delighted fans with behind-the-back passes and deep three-pointers, just as she did the past two seasons at Franklin High School in Southeast Portland, where she was 2009-10 6A Player of the Year.

"The casual fan now is interested in coming because with Shoni it's, 'What's she going to do with the ball next?'" Walz said. "That's the type of excitement you have with the men's game. With them it's about, 'How high above the rim are they going to be?' We aren't there yet with the women's game, but Shoni brings a flair to it that brings just as much interest and excitement."

But with success also comes some growing pains, and the rookie is still learning to adjust to quicker, stronger and smarter players.

In her second college game, Schimmel and Louisville played host to powerhouse Tennessee, winner of eight NCAA titles under legendary coach Pat Summitt. The Cardinals, unranked and featuring a roster of two seniors, battled the Volunteers but fell short 63-50. Schimmel recorded eight of the team's 22 turnovers -- not enough zip on her passes, she says now -- but learned greatly from the experience.

"There was so much built up for that game," Schimmel said. "It was my first college game, we were in a new arena. ... I don't want to say the jitters got to me, but I didn't know exactly how to handle it. It was new, but I'm definitely adjusted now.

"If we could go back and play them again, I think we'd win this time."

Anyone who doubts that Louisville, led by Schimmel, could beat Tennessee didn't watch the Cardinals dispatch then-No. 8 Kentucky 78-52 on Dec. 5. Schimmel scored a career high 26 in that game, adding six assists and three steals. She was selected the Big East Conference freshman of the week afterward, combining for 56 points and 20 assists in three games while shooting 54 percent from behind the arc.

"She's doing everything I expected her to do," Walz said.

But Walz admitted that he's pleasantly surprised with how Schimmel is adjusting to life away from home.

Closer to her family than most, Schimmel said she is determined to complete her college education at Louisville, driven in part to inspire other Native Americans.

"I don't really notice it because I'm so busy with basketball, but I do miss my family," she said. "I'd be crazy if I didn't. But I have a family here, too, and I'm going to do my best to prove to Native Americans that they can do it, they can leave home and be OK."

Schimmel keeps tabs on younger sister Jude, a senior at Franklin who is scoring in bunches -- she had a triple-double against Sandy last week -- but struggling to find wins with the Quakers.

Shoni Schimmel wishes she could support her sister in person, but she has no plans to leave Louisville anytime soon. She said she's kind of hooked on playing in front of the 22,000-plus who have crowded into the KFC Yum! Center to watch Louisville play Kentucky and Tennessee.

"The first game I walked out and was like, 'Whoa!'" she said. "I felt like a professional basketball player, there were so many people. And to have all those people cheer when you do something flashy ... the rush is still there."

Schimmel says she still needs to learn when to rein in some of the flamboyant passes she can throw, but also knows that her showmanship is part of what makes her so tough to guard and such a hit.

"I need to know when to do it and when not to do it," she said. "At the college level everyone is more engaged (defensively). I go with the flow for the most part, but I try to get my flashy stuff in every game."